


Just a Theory: Manipulation

by PennySerenade



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-28 09:46:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13268862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PennySerenade/pseuds/PennySerenade
Summary: A theory about the Walking Dead writers refusal to address Daryl and Beth’s romantic relationship. The reasons why.





	Just a Theory: Manipulation

**Author's Note:**

> Just a theory and in-depth look into the manipulation that was placed in Daryl and Beth’s relationship. I don’t have a Tumblr and even though Beth died awhile ago, I decided to post this here so I don’t drive myself crazy. I thought maybe someone else might agree!

First off, I want to say that Daryl and Beth were special together, and very special to me. However, a few show-runners, producers, and people involved with the show released different statements concerning them - some saying they were just friends and others saying that there was a possible romantic bond.

For example, Greg Nicotero stated: "I see all the edits from the director's cut onward and I loved the scene you did in the kitchen when the two of them are talking and I got the sense that Daryl was starting to fall in love with Beth a little bit." There was also that 'released AMC episode summary' that stated, “Beth realizes Daryl has feelings for her” at the end of S4E13, which was later deleted from the AMC page.

Now here's the important part - they were very picky with releasing statements condemning any notion of romance, until **AFTER** Beth's death. After she died, the idea of romance was finally blown fully out of the water. 

Robert Kirkman stated after Beth died: “No. I mean, Daryl loved Beth as much as he loved Sophia. There wasn’t a romantic relationship there, in my opinion. I think that there was a camaraderie, there was a friendship, there was an understanding, but, it’s not like there was this great romance that didn’t happen because she died."

They had time to fully reject fans who questioned the possible romance, before her death, but they chose not to because that would mean less fans might "care" about Beth. 

This was Robert Kirkman’s take on their relationship **BEFORE** she died: “I definitely wouldn’t read things to be **too romantic**. I think that Daryl, for all his sex appeal, is incredibly **introverted** and I don’t think that he really looks at things in that light. They’re forming a very— **I don’t know that it’s necessarily quite brotherly/sisterly** —but they are forming a very strong bond that is going to be… **they’re forming a very strong bond between the two of them.** I don’t know how much you want to read into that, **but there might be something there. You never know.** ”

So, obviously, he was never really into it, but he proclaimed a sense of possibility before Beth died. Creator’s words matter. Kirkman deflected the reason for them not being romantically linked, solely due to Daryl’s “introverted-ness,” and yet after Beth dies, it’s because she’s basically “Sophia.” Before she died it was, “you never know” and “there’s a very strong bond,” and a rejection of a brother/sisterly bond, so where does that leave them?

 **Here's my theory:** The writers wanted to manipulate the audience. They purposefully made all their interactions ‘uncertainty’ romantic, so that the audience would automatically invest in Beth, because Daryl is the fan-favorite. So whoever he cares about, the audience will care about too. And romance is the perfect trick to do so.

They wanted to make Beth's death more gut-wrenching so when they inevitably killed her off, it would be more "meaningful." But they never intended to fully flesh out what was going on between them - even if there were obvious romantic undertones. That way then when fans were like, "but what _was_ Daryl and Beth's relationship?" Robert Kirkman and Scott Gimple could shirk off that responsibility and be like, "Ew what are you talking about? She was just a little girl."

Even though they gave them so many cliche (but fun!) romance tropes. Just a few include:

1.) **After seeing the walkers in funeral makeup Beth says the tell-tale cheesy romance line, "Don't you think that's beautiful?" And in response, Daryl looks at _her_ instead.** (Ugh trying to fool me?)

2.) **Got drunk, screamed at each about their flaws, and then made up.** (Omg such a little girl thing to do!)

3.) **Classic 'teach the girl how to throw football/use weapon/any-object-that-lets-him-get-behind-you.'** (There's probably a deleted scene of Daryl's first crossbow lesson, as he holds her arms in place.)

4.) **Literally holds hands, gives piggy back rides, and sweeps Beth off her feet over the household threshold.** (Not even going to explain that imagery.)

5.) **Whilst surrounded by _candlelight_ , Daryl confesses she changed his mind on the subject of faith and good people.** (Sure, just a regular conversation that one might have with Sophia.)

6.) **HONESTLY THE LIGHTING AND ANGLES IN ALMOST EVERY SCENE THEY HAD, WHAT WAS THIS PRIDE AND PREJUDICE?** (Lol @ Daryl watching her play piano in a dimly lit room, all while _unbeknownst_ to her.)

I won’t go on, but I'm sure anyone reading knows the other moments. This means the Walking Dead show-runners just wanted to have their cake and eat it too -- Romance but _never_ own up to it. 

Because they made sure to **decorate** it as a romance. “Decorate” being the key word. It was never an 'actuality' in their plans or endgame.

I'm not saying that they spent a crazy amount of time trying to cover this up or anything. But I definitely think it was a clear idea to the question: “how do we make Beth more impactful?" -- “Well, let's match her up with Daryl and give them tension, but never address the full scope of what went on there so we don’t get backlash.” Cause they totally saw that they had chemistry and abused it.

It's too bad too, because I think Beth and Daryl transcended all that bullshit manipulation and had a wonderful partnership. It's great seeing characters you wouldn't expect together...  _be_ together. They had several emotional and psychologically stirring moments in their short time together. It felt like they were becoming two sides of one coin.

And maybe it was because I enjoyed seeing a girl character my age, but I always loved Beth! Her scenes were realistic and it was interesting seeing someone who was not yet acclimated to the apocalypse - it meant there was more to learn and grow. She didn’t need Daryl’s presence to become a more beloved character. It was the writer's intentions for the audience to finally love Beth because of Daryl, but I actually liked _Daryl_ more because of Beth (even though, of course, I liked him since the beginning). It was just my favorite season of him - it was a combination of old and new Daryl. I mean.. wasn't that the basis of their drunken conversation on the deck - how much they've changed but still have the same things holding them back? 

I would have been sad either way to see Beth die, but it should have been without the manipulation. I really feel that she was mainly killed, because they required a sad death, and for Daryl’s man pain to continue his isolation in Alexandria. How boring. 

If they weren’t trying to manipulate us into wanting Daryl and Beth together, why not let Rick carry her dead body out of the hospital - he was like her dad’s best friend and she was the main caretaker of his child. But of course it had to be Daryl, because that would strike where the iron is hot. 

Thus the writers got what they wanted all along - a punch that really hurt. 

And it’s okay for things to hurt on TWD, it's supposed to. But man do I feel manipulated into this one. When all the Beth fans freaked out after her death, I'm sure the writers clapped themselves on the back - they did their job and made people care about a previously under appreciated character. And that honestly kills me because using a female character in this way, to better a man's story and completely diminish her arc, is so sexist. 

I, now, truly think the whole journey of Daryl and Beth was intended for that last moment: him carrying her out and being sad for a couple of episodes after. And that's backwards writing. I bet the writer's outline of this story started with Beth's death, and then afterwards they came up with her & Daryl's bonding moments on the road.

And don't get me started on the episode, Slabtown, that was dedicated entirely to Beth. While I enjoyed the character and her growth, but knowing what I know now, it's clear they created that entire hospital only for the purpose of an emotional midseason finale. They needed it be someone, somewhere. And they weren't going to waste it on the Terminus storyline (it was too cool).

But this sucks because they totally dropped the ball on all the possibilities that could have occurred at the hospital. But since it was just filler for the buildup to the midseason finale, the writers didn't care. When I saw the trailer for season 5, with Beth's scenes, I thought it was going to be something _crazy._ A hospital where they're forcibly cutting off people's limbs?? Are they performing experiments on the living, like maybe for a cure?? Does Father Gabriel have to do anything with the crosses on the car that kidnapped Beth?? Are other groups involved?? 

But **NOPE**.

It was just these poor women pawned into being sexually assaulted at a boring grey's anatomy hospital and then sewn back together without any real explanation. I guess the purposeless cops just wanted servants, so they didn't have to do laundry while waiting out the end of the apocalypse? Such LAZY writing.

The fact that Grady was such a blasé story, shows how Beth's arch was made entirely for the purpose of Daryl - for future sadness.

I know not everything can be a masterpiece, but this is what happens when you create a storyline just for the purpose of killing off a character (Beth). There was no care or interest put into this story. It was the weakest part of season 5. Which was so disappointing because they left it off at such an interesting spot in season 4. UGH. 

Overall, I kinda would rather Beth have died without forming that relationship with Daryl at all. Or wish the writers were respectful and kept their relationship a _strict_ friendship-only, if they were never going to address their obvious romantic moments in the first place. They should have stayed away from decorative tropes designed to sway the audience. Because now I'm stuck in limbo, with all these weird feelings about them that will never come to fruition. And that's the worst part.

So everyone keep an eye open when TV writers try to manipulate your feelings.

 


End file.
